Jun 13 2008
Short Story: A Good Man is Hard to Find
If you’re struggling through the idea of reading an entire novel, but are in the mood to read, pick up a good short story. After all, it’s summer, meaning perhaps not the best time to snuggle up with a long book. As for short stories, let me suggest today “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor. If you’re thinking that you might know what this story will be about based on the title (a story about a quest for a man), you are very far from correct. Instead of a classic girl looking for boy plot, this story takes the reader into the South in the 195os - following one family’s road trip that goes hideously wrong. O’Connor narrates the story through the grandma, an almost childish woman, who places all her faith in God - even in the face of truly horrific circumstances. Meanwhile, the interactions between the two precocious children, the mute mother, the annoyed father, and the cat will make you laugh. While the ending will leave you disturbed, just keep in mind that O’Connor truly proves the title of her story. It’s perverse, funny, horrifying, and short. Read it.
2 Responses to “Short Story: A Good Man is Hard to Find”
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Thanks for the suggestion…I’ve read “The River” which was moderately entertaining - if you consider Southern baptism of interest. Which I do. I’ll definitely peruse “A Good Man.”
I’d like to make a note about my own review. “A Good Man is Hard to Find” is from O’Connor’s collection of short stories, entitled A Good Man is Hard to Find. I would suggest this collection in a heartbeat. Every story centers around an event so surprising that the reader is constantly shaken. Collectively the stories create a real tableau of the living South - most forcibly, its religion and family values.